How to Claim VA Benefits for Anxiety Disorders

Military service is stressful and traumatic, and, fortunately, the VA now acknowledges that this stress and trauma have long-term effects on veterans. If you are a Chicago, IL veteran suffering from PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or any other similar issue, talk to a veterans’ benefits lawyer to get the help you need to claim the benefits you are owed.

How to Claim VA Benefits for Anxiety Disorders

Talk With a Chicago, IL Veterans’ Benefits Lawyer

The first step is to speak with a lawyer who has experience dealing with the VA. Even though the VA now acknowledges that veterans do suffer mental health disorders because of the trauma of their service, it’s still not easy to get the benefits you are owed. You’ll need to fill out lots of paperwork and attach all the proof the VA requires to get the proper rating. This can be difficult to do even under the best of circumstances, and if you’re suffering from panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, or other issues, it can feel so overwhelming that you don’t want to even try.

By contacting a lawyer with experience, you get someone on your side taking care of the legalities and communication on your behalf. 

Work With Your Lawyer to Determine If You Meet the Criteria

You’ll need to talk with someone who has experience and get evidence from your doctor to show that you meet three key criteria:

You Have a Current Diagnosis

First, you must have a current medical diagnosis. This must be in your medical records, either with a private medical service or in your service treatment records or VA records.

You Can Show a Service Connection…

The second criterion is to show that your anxiety was either caused by your military service or made worse by it. You’ll need to be able to show either a direct or a secondary connection. For a direct connection, you would need to show evidence of a specific event that caused or worsened your anxiety issue. This would be, for example, proof that you were in combat. Along with that, you’ll need to show a medical opinion that it is more likely than not that your time in the service either caused or worsened the issue.

A secondary connection is where you have developed an anxiety disorder as a result of some other service-related disability. For example, if you suffered injuries that now cause you chronic pain, and if this chronic pain has caused you to develop an anxiety disorder, this would be a secondary connection. 

…Or, You Can Show Aggravation of a Pre-Existing Condition

You can also collect benefits if you can show that your anxiety was worsened by your service. You will have to be able to show that what you’re suffering is not just the natural progression of your disorder but has actually been made worse by your service.

Talk to us today at the Comerford Law Office in Chicago, IL for experienced help. We also serve veterans in Jonesborough, TN and Highland, IN.

Tags: Anxiety disorders, VA Claims
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